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Success in familiar conditions is all very well, but World Test Championship hopes may rest on spin attack

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Durban14-Feb-2019South Africa are ranked No. 2 in Tests, have the most fearsome phalanx of quicks on the planet, a serviceable top order, and are, in general, an outstanding fielding side. Despite a regular loss of wickets late on day two at Kingsmead, they have imposed themselves on Sri Lanka, and have achieved a strong position in the match.This is roughly how this Test was supposed to go, so no real surprises, right? Except maybe a minor one. South Africa’s dominance has been achieved without significant bowling intervention from left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj. On his home ground – the most spin-friendly Test venue in the country – Maharaj’s bowling has largely been irrelevant in the first innings. Compare this to the last time Kingsmead hosted a game. Maharaj bowled 33.4 first-innings overs, and took 5 for 123.It’s no big deal in the context of South Africa’s home summer, because it was performing quicks that have kept Maharaj out of the Test XI for two matches against Pakistan, and performing quicks who trussed Sri Lanka up for 191 between them and effectively made Maharaj surplus to requirements.But that is only in the context of the home summer, in which South Africa have been desperate to remind everyone just how good they are, following that 2-0 away thrashing in Sri Lanka.There is, perhaps, also an unsaid undertone of retribution in this particular series. “Yah, you can beat us in your dustbowls, but check us back in our own patch. We’ll show you what we’re really all about over there.” In fact, while South Africa had been in Sri Lanka last year, Faf du Plessis had spoken of reciprocating Sri Lanka’s “streetsmart” tactics, when South Asian teams next toured them.So instead of a regular Kingsmead surface – the kind on which Maharaj might have been needed for more than three overs in the first innings – what South Africa had requested was pace, bounce, and if possible, movement. What they got was a surface on which even Sri Lanka’s vastly under-strength seam attack could dismiss them for 235. A track on which 19 wickets have fallen to fast bowling on the first two days, with reverse swing never having to come into the reckoning.This, into an important year for South Africa, on the Test front. They have a three-Test series in India coming up in October, where Maharaj will clearly be required. Have South Africa done enough to develop their promising young spinner, given they have requested uniformly fast-and-bouncy tracks over the last few months? Probably not.That India series will also be South Africa’s first taste of the World Test Championship – a four-year league that rewards away victories. Though it may be a surprise to some, Maharaj has actually been South Africa’s best bowler away from home since 2016 (against the top nine teams), sporting an average of 26.3. It is not just in Asia that he stands to be a force – the more he plays, the better chance there is he will trouble batsmen in England and Australia as well.If there was a need for a cautionary tale – a reminder that of the danger that lays in ordering uniform tracks – South Africa need only look at their present opposition. Sri Lanka have largely refused to field more than one frontline seam bowler at home since roughly mid-2016, because they believed rank turners to be their surest route to victory. That strategy has not been altogether unfruitful. In 2016 they whitewashed Australia – a team they almost never beat – and then last year, they of course pummelled South Africa as well.But look at them now. They are in the middle of a sequence of terrible away series, having lost three of four Tests on the road. Overall their team is in more disarray than ever. Made-to-order pitches are great for short-term results, but it has also prevented Sri Lanka from developing the promising young quicks in their own ranks. Kasun Rajitha and Lahiru Kumara had starred in a Test win in Barbados in June last year, then didn’t play a Test again until December, when the next away tour came around. Unsurprisingly, they were both rusty in those New Zealand Tests, and had added no new skills to their bowling during the layoff.If this sounds like nitpicking, that is because it probably is. South Africa are an excellent team. They will almost certainly be among the contenders for that World Test Championship crown. But they are, presently, in the grip of some serious pace worship – a philosophy that is not without its rewards. But in the long term, giving their spinner as much Test exposure as possible, may prove more rewarding.

Moeen is the only man from the Test team defeated in Adelaide to play in the two-day warm-up match against a Cricket Australia XI at Richardson Park this weekend

George Dobell07-Dec-2017Moeen Ali has been named captain of the England XI that will play a two-day warm-up match against a Cricket Australia XI at Richardson Park in Perth this weekend.Moeen is the only man from the Test team defeated in Adelaide to play in the game. While the England camp insist he has recovered from a cut finger that compromised his effectiveness in Brisbane, they feel he failed to gain sufficient bowling ahead of the Test series due to a side strain that limited his involvement in the warm-up matches. Partially as a result, he has been comprehensively out-bowled by Nathan Lyon in the series to date. Moeen has taken two wickets at a cost of 98 apiece from 63 overs; Lyon has taken 11 at a cost of 22.72 from 109.1 overs.The variation in performance between Moeen and Lyon has been one of the key differences in the series to date. While Australia have been able to rest and rotate their seamers to maintain an attacking edge to their game (Lyon has conceded just 2.29 runs per over and taken a wicket every 59.50 balls), Moeen has failed to pose much threat (he has taken a wicket every 189 deliveries) or control the run-rate as much as England would have liked (he is conceding 3.11 runs per over). England hope he will gain some rhythm and confidence form the two-day match with both the coach, Trevor Bayliss, and the captain, Joe Root, suggesting he will retain his place for the Perth Test.Moeen will be joined in the side by the five members of the England squad who did not feature in Adelaide (Gary Ballance, Ben Foakes, Mason Crane, Jake Ball and Tom Curran) while six members of the England Lions squad (Ben Duckett, Keaton Jennings, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Liam Livingstone and Mark Wood), who are now based in Perth at a training camp, have also been included to make-up the rest of the team. Foakes will keep wicket.Perhaps the most intriguing of those inclusions from the Lions is Wood. If he is able to prove his fitness and bowl at his full pace, he could be added to the squad and could yet play a part in the Ashes. Leach, the left-arm spinner, is also included alongside other spinners Crane and Moeen.England 12-man squad: Moeen Ali (capt), Jake Ball, Gary Ballance, Mason Crane, Tom Curran, Ben Duckett, Ben Foakes (wk), Keaton Jennings, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Liam Livingstone, Mark Wood.

Bangladesh have dropped Taijul Islam and brought in pace bowler Al-Amin Hossain in their 14-man squad for the first two ODIs against England, which will be held in Mirpur on October 7 and 9

Mohammad Isam02-Oct-2016Bangladesh have dropped Taijul Islam and brought in pace bowler Al-Amin Hossain in their 14-man squad for the first two ODIs against England, which will be held in Mirpur on October 7 and 9.Left-arm spinner Taijul bowled decently in the first two ODIs against Afghanistan last week, but he took only one wicket in his 20 overs. He brought control to the Bangladesh attack but was not as penetrating. He was replaced by left-arm spinner Mosharraf Hossain, in the third ODI, who took three wickets.Al-Amin’s return was slightly predictable after he was not included against Afghanistan despite doing well for Bangladesh earlier this year. Chief selector Minhajul Abedin had said at the time that his fielding was an issue.But with Rubel Hossain being dropped before the third ODI against Afghanistan, there was always the need for a pace bowler who had variation to partner Mashrafe Mortaza and Taskin Ahmed.Squad for first two ODIs: Mashrafe Mortaza (capt)., Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Imrul Kayes, Mosaddek Hossain, Mahmudullah, Nasir Hossain, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Sabbir Rahman, Shafiul Islam, Mosharraf Hossain, Al-Amin Hossain, Taskin Ahmed

Allrounder Ian Holland is the only uncapped member of Victoria’s 14-man squad to contest the Matador Cup next month

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Sep-2015Allrounder Ian Holland is the only uncapped member of Victoria’s 14-man squad to contest the Matador Cup next month.Holland has been named for a potential state debut after a strong club season last summer in which he came the first person to win the Jack Ryder Medal as the best player in the competition and the John Scholes medal as best player in the final. A batsman and medium-pace bowler, Holland first came to notice in 2012 as the winner of the reality television show.”He is a player that can fill a lot of roles for us,” Victoria’s new coach David Saker said of Holland. “He can bat, bowl and is really strong in the field.”Matthew Wade will captain the Bushrangers and Cameron White will enter the campaign aiming to become the first player to win three consecutive Player of the Tournament awards. In the past two domestic one-day competitions, White has scored 721 runs at 65.54.Victoria squad Matthew Wade (capt), Fawad Ahmed, Scott Boland, Daniel Christian, Aaron Finch, Peter Handscomb, John Hastings, Ian Holland, Jon Holland, Clint McKay, James Pattinson, Rob Quiney, Marcus Stoinis, Cameron White.

A round up of the Faysal Bank One-Day Cup matches on March 9, 2013

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Mar-2013

Group A

File photo: Aizaz Cheema’s five-wicket haul gave Peshawar Panthers an 80-run win over Lahore Lions•AFP

A maiden century by Mansoor Amjad took Sialkot Stallions to a five-wicket win – and thereby top of the points table – over Multan Tigers in Ghari Khuda Baksh.Multan’s innings of 234 revolved around Sohaib Maqsood’s 91. The rest of the batting, though, couldn’t last long enough to provide him much-needed support. Wickets fell regularly after a second-wicket stand of 96. From 122 for 2, they would be reduced to being bowled out in the last over. All six of the oppositions’ bowlers were among the wickets.In reply, Sialkot struggled at 27 for 3, with offspinner Aamer Yamin taking two of those wickets. But Amjad and opener Yasir Aziz staged a recover with 102 for the fourth wicket, before the later was dismissed for 66. Amjad found able support through Adeel Malik (44), which helped them get home in the 46th over.An all-round show from Bahawalpur Stags took them to a convincing six-wicket win over Quetta Bears in Karachi. The foundation for the win was laid by seamer Mohammad Mudassar and spinner Faisal Elahi, who shared seven wickets between them to bowl the Bears out for 144, and an aggressive career-best knock of 93 by opener Imranullah Aslam.Quetta were behind in the game from the outset, as they were 6 for 3. Although a recovery stand of 49 between Taimur Ali and Abid Ali followed, the lower order couldn’t follow it up with any resistance.They picked up an early wicket in Bahawalpur’s chase, but that proved to be a false dawn, as Imranullah punished the bowlers in his 88-ball knock with ten fours and four sixes, effectively taking the game away.A responsible 71 by Sami Aslam was backed up by a decent middle-order batting performance asLahore Eagles defeated Hyderabad Hawks by four wickets in Hyderabad. This was the Hawks’ first loss in the tournament, and the Eagles’ first win.They had a shaky start to their chase of 238, with two wickets falling early, but Jahangir Mirza, who scored 54, stuck with Aslam to put on a 111-run stand. Later, the captain and wicketkeeper Adnan Akmal also chipped in with a half-century, to help his side get home with two overs to spare.Hyderabad, with a 132-run stand for the third wicket between Taj Wasan and Rizwan Ahmed, got to a commanding 173 for 2 at one stage in their innings. But the next eight wickets fell for 64 runs, as the middle and lower order crumbled. Wasan finished on 69, while Rizwan finished on 73. Adnan Rasool was the pick of the bowlers with 4 for 28.

Group B

Karachi Zebras won their rain-affected encounter with Faisalabad Wolves in Rawalpinidi by 1 run through D/L method, and moved to top spot in Group B.Karachi were put into bat, and started solidly to get to 105 for 2. The innings lost momentum thereafter, as Faisalabad struck regularly. Contributions from Tariq Haroon (37) and Anwar Ali (37) helped push the total to 215, as they were dismissed in 46 overs.Faisalabad, in reply, were in trouble at 18 for 3. They lost two more in quick succession to be reduced to 60 for 5. Zeeshan Butt’s unbeaten 67, along with Imran Khalid’s 42, did their best to steer the ship, as they put on a 97-run stand for the seventh wicket. However, once rain intervened, Faisalabad were 1 run short of the D/L comparative score.Islamabad Leopards won their rain-affected game against Abbottabad Falcons by 20 runs through D/L method, in Islamabad.Islamabad chose to bat, with opener Raheel Majeed scoring 47. A brace of wickets left Umair Khan batting with the rest of the tail as Islamabad struggled to string substantial partnerships. Khan’s unbeaten 91, supported by small contributions from other batsmen, and 31 extras, pushed their score to 275 for 9. Kamran Ghulam was the pick of the bowlers with a career-best 3 for 29.Abbottabad started strongly with a 102-run stand between Ghulam and Sajjad Ali. However, with the fall of regular wickets, they fell behind in the chase, which was revived by a 51-run stand for the seventh wicket. A late rally from Yasir Shah, with an unbeaten 66, tried to keep them abreast of the required run-rate. But once rain intervened they were found short by 20 runs on D/L.Peshawar Panthers comprehensively beat Lahore Lions by 80 runs at Gaddafi Stadium, to move up to second spot on the points table.Peshawar, after electing to bat, lost Israrullah for 4. Nawaz Ahmed and wicketkeeper Mohammed Rizwan combined for 118 runs for the second wicket to stage a recovery. Nawaz finished with 93, with further contributions from Rizwan (55), Iftikhar Ahmed (81) and Gauhar Ali (26). Aizaz Cheema took wickets both up front and towards the end of the innings, as Panthers finished with 294 for 7 in their fifty overs. Cheema had best figures of 5 for 61.Lahore Lions didn’t start assuredly well, as they lost opener Imran Butt for 10. They could not string together meaningful partnerships, as the top and middle-order struggled to keep pace with the soaring required run-rate. The innings was kept in check through the bowling of spinner Mohammad Adnan, who picked up 5 for 46, and Zohaib Khan, who picked up 3 for 33. Despite a late order hit-out from Asif Raza (30) and Agha Salman (42), Lahore folded for 214 in the 48th over.

The race for the semi-finals got tighter as Dhaka Gladiators became the fourth team to be tied on ten points after Saturday’s opening match in Mirpur.

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Feb-2012
ScorecardThe race for the semi-finals got tighter as Dhaka Gladiators became the fourth team to be tied on ten points after Saturday’s opening match in Mirpur. It was a comfortable five-wicket win against Barisal Burners, led by contributions from Imran Nazir, Azhar Mahmood and Kieron Pollard.Barisal had a good platform set by the opener Ahmed Shehzad, who hit 51, off 39 balls. Naved-ul-Hasan bowled economically, taking 2 for 22 off four overs to restrict Barisal to 156. England’s Phil Mustard hit 33 off 23 balls before he was dismissed by the part-timer Mohammad Ashraful.Dhaka were in trouble at 11 for 2, but the Pakistan duo of Nazir and Mahmood put them firmly on course with a stand of 92 for the third wicket. Mahmood made 42 off 30 balls, while Nazir made 65 before he was dismissed by Suhrawadi Shuvo. There was a minor jitter at 112 for 5, but Pollard ensured Dhaka crossed the finish line without any further loss of wickets.The only sore point for Dhaka was that their captain Mashrafe Mortaza was fined BDT 25,000 for a slow over-rate in Friday’s game against Chittagong Kings.

Anil Kumble has said that a spruced-up Chinnaswamy Stadium is ready to host the World Cup after undergoing several facelifts

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Feb-2011Anil Kumble has said that a spruced-up Chinnaswamy Stadium is ready to host the World Cup after undergoing several facelifts, including a new-look dressing room which is being modified with inputs from Rahul Dravid. A revamp, including enhanced capacity, is also on the cards for the stadium after the IPL.”In all terms of preparation we are match-ready. In a couple of days, the Indian team will be arriving here, and in every functional aspect, we will be ready by February 9,” Kumble, the Karnataka State Cricket Association president, said. “The practice match (against Australia) is on February 13, and we are treating it as a World Cup game, from the administrative point of view.”Speaking about the players’ facilities, Kumble said that every detail a player requires had been looked into. “We have changed the look of the dressing room, although the layout is the same. Be it seating or keeping bags or the showers and toilets, we have worked on every little detail. It needs a lift on where the photographs need to be put up, and I have entrusted that job on Rahul. He will take care of that and by the teams arrive everything will be ready.”There has not been much time since the new administration led by Kumble took charge in November, but he said that they had tried to do their best. “Whether it was the players’ room, commentary box or the media centre, given the space restrictions because of various design constraints of the stadium, I think we have done whatever we could. And I’m glad that every committee member and people working in the KSCA have responded to the challenge.”There is a lot on Kumble’s plate, especially after the ICC decided to shift the India-England tie from an unready Eden Gardens to Bangalore. Logistics and the ICC’s hospitality requirements are being thrashed out, and Kumble admitted it would take some effort. “The ICC needed extra media space, hospitality and overflow area. Whatever is possible, we have been able to address that. It won’t be an ideal scenario.”Tickets are another major issue, and Kumble said that it was being resolved with the ICC. “At the moment the numbers are not clear, but it can come up to anywhere around 7,000 to 10,000 tickets they want. And all those are prime ones, so we will have to manage those logistics. The tickets are pre-sold, so we will only have to sell one-third of what we can to the public. It will be clear in a day. We are also looking at combos and discounts to push the tickets for non-India matches.”At the same time, Kumble hoped that the crowds would turn up for the India-Australia warm-up match. “Both are good teams and in best of form. It’s on Sunday and a day-night game.”Saying that a master plan for the stadium was being prepared, Kumble said that an increased capacity of 65,000 to 70,000 was planned, as also was reserved seating. “The ground requires a revamp, it probably is tired. We need at least three or four months of non-cricket, and we will take it up after the IPL.”We want to ensure that every spectator having a valid seat will have a permanent seat, not first-come first-serve basis. We want to create something where even if you come two overs late, the spectator will have his seat reserved.”We will certainly ensure that catering will be top class. In the India-New Zealand game, people were happy with the catering and also the price. We will provide the same facilities this time.Kumble felt that he had lived up to expectations till now. “We have put together some kind of a quarterly plan. One thing was painting the stadium, dressing room and others. Hopefully on the 13th, we will get a stamp of approval.”

Western Australia must score the biggest total of the match to overtake Tasmania after they were set 275 for victory at the WACA

Cricinfo staff21-Feb-2010Western Australia 233 and 2 for 40 need 235 runs to beat Tasmania 261 and 246 (Marsh 60, Knowles 3-60)

ScorecardDaniel Marsh’s 60 gave Tasmania a strong lead to set up a tense finish•Getty Images

Western Australia must score the biggest total of the match to overtake Tasmania after they were set 275 for victory at the WACA. The Tigers were dismissed late on the third day for 246 and the Warriors knocked 40 from their target in 16 overs but lost both openers to Adam Maher.Liam Davis edged to third slip on 13 shortly before stumps and Wes Robinson (20) went lbw in the second last over. The nightwatchman Nathan Coulter-Nile and the captain Marcus North will start again on the final morning.Both teams want a win to keep the pressure on the leaders Victoria and Queensland, but Tasmania were battling in their second innings until Daniel Marsh arrived with a crucial contribution of 60. Marsh lifted the pace after Tim Paine (27) and Xavier Doherty (0) departed quickly and surged them forward from the trouble of 6 for 135.A six came off Steve Magoffin and Marsh also found the boundary eight times before he fell to Luke Pomersbach just before tea. Adam Griffith added 25 before he was bowled by Brad Knowles and Brendan Drew extended the lead with a valuable 39. Knowles led the hosts with 3 for 60 while Coulter-Nile and North chipped in with two victims each.Tasmania, who earned a 28-run lead on first innings, resumed on 1 for 31, and lost Alex Doolan (10) when he offered no shot to Magoffin. George Bailey managed a single in his 37-ball innings and there was further trouble when Ed Cowan left with 41 after chipping a catch back to the bowler North.The Warriors are fifth on 12 points, one behind Tasmania, and eight from the second-placed Bulls. A tense final day on a pitch still being kind to the bowlers will determine which side stays in contention.

England captain named Player of the Match after putting himself through 24 overs in India’s second innings at Lord’s

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jul-20252:32

Stokes: I was going to decide when I stop bowling

Ben Stokes, England’s captain, admitted he had taken himself to some “dark places” with his bowling workloads but said “nothing was stopping” him as he embarked on two lengthy spells to help drag his side to a 22-run victory over India on the final day at Lord’s.Stokes was named Player of the Match after taking five wickets across 44 overs – the third-most he has bowled in a Test, and the most since 2019 – to go with innings of 44 and 33 with the bat, as well as the crucial run-out of Rishabh Pant in India’s first innings.On the third evening, he received an instruction from England’s head coach, Brendon McCullum, to call it quits after a seven-over spell, with the team management still wary about protecting Stokes’ fitness after hamstring surgery over the winter.Related

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But he again pushed his body to the limit on Monday, resuming his over from the previous evening and bowling a further 9.2 overs during the morning, which included the wicket of India opener KL Rahul. He followed up with a ten-over spell after lunch, eventually dislodging Jasprit Bumrah after a dogged 35-run stand with Ravindra Jadeja for the ninth wicket, as England sought to confirm victory and a 2-1 lead in the series.The Lord’s Test was also the second of back-to-back matches, with just a three-day turnaround from India’s win at Edgbaston, where Stokes bowled 26 overs. In the first Test, at Headingley, he sent down 35 overs and spoke afterwards about how hard it was to recover.”I have taken myself to some pretty dark places before. Today was… but look, bowling to win a Test match, if that doesn’t get you excited, I don’t know what does,” he said, speaking to Sky Sports at the post-match presentation.”With what today was, what was on the line. Yesterday [Saturday] was a bit different. You know, there was still more cricket to be played. And, you know, pulled myself off there. I mean, to be honest, I was absolutely cooked [on day three] as well. But again, today, you know, game was on the line. Nothing was stopping me [carrying on].”Ben Stokes appeals for KL Rahul’s wicket•Getty Images

Although Stokes hinted at a return to form with the bat, Lord’s extended his run without a Test fifty to ten innings. He is now averaging 29.18 in 20 Tests since his last hundred, at Lord’s during the 2023 Ashes, but said that his ability to impact games with the ball meant he had little time to dwell on his batting returns.”I’m an allrounder. I get four opportunities in a Test match to be able to influence the game. And one of the great things about being an allrounder is that if one thing doesn’t quite click, you’ve got an opportunity with the other. And that’s how I look at it.”Obviously, I would like to be scoring more runs at the moment, but as soon as I’ve got my whites on out there on the field, all my thoughts flip over to bowling. And that’s the great thing about being an allrounder, that you don’t really have a chance to sort of worry about anything. And everyone knows, I’ll always put in as much as I possibly can.”Jofra Archer took two crucial wickets in his opening spell•Getty Images

Stokes offered particular praise for Jofra Archer, playing in his first Test since 2021. Archer claimed match figures of 5 for 105 in a display of sustained hostility that regularly pushed the speed gun above 90mph/145kph. On day five, six years on from his heroics in the ODI World Cup final, he made the first breakthrough with the key wicket of Pant, and Stokes said he had backed Archer to do something special.”Yeah, part of the reason I went with Jof this morning, six years ago now to the day. He played a major role and I had a feeling he’d do something special and crack the game open. A bit of discussion, Brydon [Carse] had an amazing spell [last night], but I had a gut feeling that Jof’s going to do something in his first game back.”Speaking afterwards to Sky, Archer said that the long periods he experienced in rehab due to back and elbow problems between 2021 and 2024 were made all the more worthwhile by the taste of victory at Lord’s.As well as his involvement in the World Cup final, when he bowled the Super Over as England’s men lifted the trophy for the first time, Archer made his Test debut on the ground during the 2019 Ashes. However, he had not played a Test since February 2021 before his comeback against India, enduring a four-year absence from red-ball cricket while road-testing his body in the limited-overs formats.0:55

Manjrekar: Stokes always makes things happen

“I only played one other Test at Lord’s, but you know, the last one was just as special as this one,” Archer said. “A lot of rehab, a lot of training, but it’s moments like this that make everything worth it.”I feel the hardest part is playing cricket for the last year-and-a-half and then still having training, talking about workloads, and ‘bowl today, don’t bowl tomorrow’, stuff like that. That would probably be the hardest part, because some days you think that you’re ready, but you never know if you’re ready or not until you do it. But the safer way is the best way. So I’m not too fussed. This surely, surely is worth it.”On day two, Archer struck with his third ball on returning to the Test side, having India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal caught at second slip, and celebrated by sprinting away to square leg, where he was enveloped by his team-mates.”Guess I was a little bit emotional,” he said. “It was a long journey. I can’t tell you the amount of keyboard warriors that I had to put up with for the last three to four years as well. I told myself that I was going to try my best not to be [emotional] and when [Jaiswal] nicked it, and it went to Brooky [Harry Brook], I think all of that just went through the window. The joy, the whole crowd, the Long Room yesterday, I’ve never seen it like that ever in my life. So it’s just moments like this that made the rehab all so much worth it.”Archer also revealed what was behind his send-off for Pant on the final day, having removed the batter’s off stump from the ground. “It wasn’t a proud moment,” he said. “I just told him to charge that. Honestly, this morning, I was struggling a little bit, the ball just kept coming out full. One of the full ones, he just charged, and it p****d me off a bit. When the [wicket] ball nipped down the slope, honestly I was so grateful for that.”

Iyer’s inclusion comes as a boost for Mumbai, who will be without Sarfaraz Khan, Shivam Dube or Prithvi Shaw

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jan-2024Shreyas Iyer will be part of the Mumbai squad for their second round match of the Ranji Trophy 2023-24 against Andhra beginning January 12. It will mark his return to the Mumbai XI for the first time in the Ranji Trophy since the 2018-19 season.The home game at the Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy in BKC is an opportunity for Iyer to hit form prior to the home Tests against England beginning January 25 in Hyderabad. Iyer had a tough South Africa tour, where he managed scores of 31, 6, 0 and 4 not out. Earlier in the week, hewasn’t named in India’s T20I squad for the three-match series against Afghanistan.The two Tests in South Africa were Iyer’s first set of red-ball games in close to nine months since returning from a back injury he picked up during the Border-Gavaskar series at home against Australia last February-March.Related

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After missing the subsequent WTC Final and the Caribbean tour, Iyer made a comeback from surgery during the Asia Cup and played a key role in India’s run to the 2023 ODI World Cup final. He struck the third-most runs for India after Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the World Cup: 530 in 11 innings at 66.25 comprising two hundreds and three half-centuries. In December, he was named vice-captain for the last two T20Is at home against Australia.Iyer’s inclusion comes as a boost for Mumbai, who will be without Sarfaraz Khan and Shivam Dube. Sarfaraz is part of the India A squad for the two-day tour game against England Lions in Ahmedabad on January 12-13, while Dube has made a comeback to India’s T20I squad for the Afghanistan series.Opener Prithvi Shaw, who hasn’t played any competitive cricket since August 2023, continues to miss out as he rehabs for a knee injury, while Ajinkya Rahane, who sat out of the Ranji opener in Patna due to neck spasms, is believed to have recovered sufficiently. He is expected to lead Mumbai like he did during the previous season. Spin-bowling allrounder Shams Mulani had led the side in Rahane’s absence.Mumbai squad: Ajinkya Rahane (capt), Shreyas Iyer, Jay Bista, Bhupen Lalwani, Amogh Bhatkal, Suved Parkar, Prasad Pawar (wk), Hardik Tamore (wk), Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Atharva Ankolekar, Mohit Avasthi, Dhaval Kulkarni, Royston Dias, Sylvester Dsouza.